Fast-growing tea chain leads consortium to acquire Häagen-Dazs cafés in China

After nearly two decades of growth, Häagen-Dazs’s café network in China is melting. Can an investment group reverse its fortunes after mass store closures and fierce competition from affordable rivals?

Shanghai-based Ningji Lemon Tea has scooped up General Mills’ Häagen-Dazs café network in China for an undisclosed sum.

The fast-growing tea chain, known for its fresh lemon teas, oolong blends and takeaway-focused stores, has led an investment consortium for the purchase, potentially adding scores of outlets to its 3,000-store footprint.